Life

4 Mental Tricks for the Long Haul

One-hundred forty miles is a long way for the mind. Zeasorb describes thought patterns that can help you perform your best.

In 2011, the British Journal of Sports Medicine published a study of IRONMAN triathletes to determine changes in mood before and after a race, as well as the relationships between expected performance outcomes and perception of effort and pacing. The study found that anxiety and mood are closely linked to conscious thought. As athletes’ perception of exertion increased during the run portion of the race, their pace decreased. This provides evidence that pace was the result of a conscious decision, rather than the body’s reaction to fatigue—proving that training your mind is as important as training your body.

Another more recent study showed that 97 percent of IRONMAN competitors know that mental skills are important to hone in training for a race. You’d be hard-pressed to find a competitor who has a keen understanding of exactly how to achieve mental clarity during the grueling 140 mile course, however.

To help get you in the right mindset before you hit the ground running, here a handful of tips to follow should you find yourself lacking in the mental motivation department.

Internal check-in

Studies have shown that the mere awareness of upcoming exercise is enough for your body to regulate pace, but due to the sheer length of an IRONMAN, this isn’t enough. Reassess your body every hour to make sure you aren’t expelling unnecessary energy on things like improper form or tensing up your shoulders. Little corrections can save you precious energy later on.

Think performance

It’s easy to want to distract yourself from discomfort by thinking of your favorite song or focusing on the scenery, but this dissociative method is often unsuccessful. The strategies used by elite athletes involve focusing on performance-based thoughts: concentrating on stride length, for example, or assessing your heart rate and breathing. During the final half of the marathon, instead of thinking of how much you still have ahead of you, focus on regulating your pace and performing strong.

Self-efficacy theory

Take a moment to reflect on your last race and remember how you felt during each leg. Coming off the bike and seeing the marathon ahead of you can be daunting, but knowing that you’ve made it through once before can be enough to help you keep pushing. Whether it was your last IRONMAN or that time in training where you thought you hit your breaking point, reflect on your successes—the pain is now a distant memory! You’ve made it through before and you’re going to make it through again.

Talk that talk

The road to an IRONMAN finish is a long one, and your biggest competitor and supporter is yourself. Instead of telling yourself you can’t swim faster or bike harder, speak positively to yourself. Positive self-talk has been proven to increase performance, so create an internal dialogue (either out loud or in your head) to interpret your feelings, give instruction to your body and receive feedback. This can be especially useful during the swim, when there are no true markers to tell you how far you’ve gone. Try a back-and-forth dialogue that will help you tap into how your body is really feeling. Then you can moderate and respond to these "voices" in a productive manner that will lead to greater success.

This article is sponsored by Zeasorb, the official antifungal powder of IRONMAN. Make sure you’re taking preventative measures during your transitions to ensure all of your gear is properly in place, such as applying Zeasorb antifungal powder prior to slipping wet feet into socks and shoes to avoid any unnecessary discomfort or chafing.